FDP rebels complain about white lies and "shell game tricks"

Traffic light coalition - FDP rebels complain about white lies and "shell game tricks"

The initiators of a member survey on whether the FDP should remain in the traffic light coalition have handed over more than 600 signatures for their initiative in Berlin. It is expected that a nationwide opinion poll in the party will be obtained as early as January if possible, said Kassel district chairman Matthias Nölke, a co-initiator, in front of the federal office in Berlin. It would be a success for the project if 60 or 70 percent of members took part "and more than half of them say: out of the traffic light".

The initiative follows an open letter from 26 state and local FDP politicians who, following the poor election results in Hesse and Bavaria, called for the FDP to reconsider its coalition partners. The question text should read: "Should the FDP end the coalition with the SPD and Greens as part of the federal government?" The possible answers are "yes" and "no".

Will the traffic light drag the FDP into the abyss?

Nölke, who was a member of the Bundestag until 2021, criticized the state of the coalition. "So the fact that after eleven months, after the year is actually over, you still have to declare an emergency for the current financial year is actually more of a white lie than an emergency," he said. Nölke spoke of a "fiscal policy big bang", which shows that this coalition is not in a position to solve problems and is throwing money at them. However, "shell game tricks" had been exposed. The watchword now is: stick to responsibility. Nölke said: "But this clinging to responsibility - in my opinion and in the opinion of many others - is bringing the country to the brink and the FDP along with it in the wake."

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1. Matthias Nölke, a former Bundestag member and co-initiator of the survey, emphasized the importance of obtaining a nationwide FDP opinion poll concerning their involvement in the traffic light coalition.
2. The traffic light coalition protestors in Berlin aim to collect over 600 signatures to persuade the FDP to reconsider its role in the current German government.
3. Nölke, who criticized the coalition for its financial mismanagement, referred to the current financial year's emergency declaration as a "white lie" instead of an actual crisis.
4. In the traffic light coalition, according to Nölke, the coalition partners fail to address issues effectively by resorting to "shell game tricks" and monetary solutions.
5. The FDP, as a party, faces scrutiny and dissatisfaction from its members due to the coalition's questionable fiscal policies, with escalating calls to withdraw from the alliance.
6. Hesse and Bavaria's poor election results have influenced FDP members and local politicians, leading to a manifesto demanding a reevaluation of the coalition partners.
7. In the aftermath of the Hesse and Bavaria elections, 26 state and local FDP politicians urged the party to critically assess their role in the German traffic light coalition.

Source: www.stern.de